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Depression Research

The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation is committed to investing in depression research. Thanks to our generous donors over the last three years, we have invested $165,000 to depression research at UT Southwestern Medical Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care.

Below you'll see how our investment has created scientific breakthroughs.

Blood test unlocks new frontier in treating depression

Doctors for the first time can determine which medication is more likely to help a patient overcome depression, according to research that pushes the medical field beyond what has essentially been a guessing game of prescribing antidepressants.

Can a blood test determine which antidepressant is right for you?

Researchers exploring a possible link between inflammation and depression have found that certain protein levels in the blood can predict whether an antidepressant is likely to relieve depression symptoms.

UT Southwestern finds marker of depression in blood

The key to more effectively prescribing antidepressants may be in your blood. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a marker called the C-reactive protein, or CRP, which is found in higher concentrations in the blood of people with depression.

Researchers in the U.S. have identified a biological marker that could help doctors prescribe the most effective medications for depression by means of a simple blood test. The findings bring hope to patients who don't find relief from the most commonly prescribed antidepressants.

A New Blood Test Could Help Doctors Prescribe More Appropriate Medications To Treat Depression

The World Health Organization has already expressed its concern over the rise of depression cases, as well as the sickness and disability it causes. Social media sites have even contributed in helping identify users that could be suffering from the condition.

Due to the lack of a biological test, determining which drug will work best in individuals suffering depression is often a game of trial and error. But the process could become less of a guessing game thanks to researchers at UT Southwestern, who have developed a simple blood test that could allow physicians to more successfully prescribe initial drug treatments.

Scientists are reformulating the party drug Ketamine to remove its terrible side effects

Monteggia’s study shows that this particular metabolite blocks the NMDA receptor in the brain. Earlier work shows that ketamine also blocks this receptor and so, in finding that the metabolite has the same effect, Monteggia believes she’s discovered the key to creating a ketamine-like antidepressant.

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in the brain, a crucial step to developing alternative treatments to the controversial drug being dispensed in a growing number of clinics across the country.

New Insight Into How Ketamine Works in Depression

Ketamine exerts an initial antidepressant effect by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and the ketamine metabolite hydroxynorketamine (HNK) may extend the duration of the effect. The findings could lead to the development of safer alternatives.

Answering why ketamine helps depression could lead to safer drugs

In recent years the drug has been discovered to have notable rapid-acting effects as an anti-depressant. Despite growing anecdotal support, scientists have not had a clear understanding of how ketamine's anti-depressant effects actually work. A new study has finally solved a key part of the ketamine mystery, discovering how it triggers its anti-depressant effects.

Researchers Learn How Ketamine Acts on the Brain

Ketamine is Helping Alleviate Depression—Fast

Depression is a crippling problem that hijacks a patient’s neurochemistry, often making it impossible to “see the bright side.” While many potential therapeutic applications exist, there has been a longstanding quarrel between treating depression chemically or through interventions like talk therapy. While some psychiatrists are advocates for both, no silver bullet seems possible for all people who suffer from this condition.

It's official: Ketamine has an antidepressant effect

Scientists have confirmed the antidepressant properties of ketamine, after getting new insights into how the drug may act on the brain. They have also identified related compounds that could benefit people, without the negative side effects of ketamine.

Ketamine, which is often used recreationally, has also long been studied as a way to treat depression. It’s never been quite understood exactly how it works to treat symptoms, but a team of scientists believe they have the answer.